Sweet and Supersized: Chichester grower tells of the largest strawberries he’s seen in 19 years

.In fact, the Colworth based grower forecasts its biggest ever harvest as it expands its operations six per cent each year at a time when many growers are retracting their operations.

The high light levels are also increasing the concentration of natural sugars within the fruit, making them particularly sweet – and the biggest seen in two decades.

Bartosz Pinkosz, operations director at The Summer Berry Company, said: “It has been a perfect start to the strawberry season for us.

"This week marks my 19th year of working in the berry industry and during this time I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently.

"Some are supersized – up to 30 per cent larger than previous years, growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits.

“The UK had the brightest March and April since 1910. These long sunny days boost the sugar levels in the berries to give them their sweetness – and the cool evenings we’ve enjoyed, allow the strawberries to rest and grow steadily so they can achieve a larger size. Essentially, bright days and cool nights equals strawberry delight.”

“But it’s not just the weather that’s caused the mega-sized berries we’re seeing – our team have managed the crop superbly, creating the right environment for them to thrive. We have also invested in growing new varieties of strawberries this year and these have grown beautifully in the weather conditions.”

“Our berries can be found in all retail stores – and we’re expecting the quality to continue into Wimbledon through to October.

"And for those who still need their strawberry fix, we’re the grower who supplies British berries to retailers throughout the depths of winter following an installation of new technology, so consumers can enjoy British quality every day of the year.

"And if you can’t spot our punnets from the size of the strawberries, just keep an eye out for Summer Berry Co on the label.”

The farm is the nation’s largest provider of Fandango, which are the tastiest variety of strawberry available in the UK – winning the prestigious Taste Institute Award, judged by a panel of over 200 top chefs and sommeliers.

The Summer Berry Company expects to sell around 25 million punnets of strawberries between March and October, with peak sales reaching up to 1.2 million punnets per week (170,000 punnets per day).

Jack Darnes, commercial director at The Summer Berry Company, added: “Strawberries are a quintessential British product, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of growing this iconic fruit.

"As consumers become more conscious of sustainability and their carbon footprints, choosing British-grown fruit offers a fresher, more eco-friendly alternative to imports while also supporting local farmers and the UK economy.

"We’re currently producing three varieties – Fandango, Favori and Karima – all of which are intensely sweet with a firm skin and soft bite which we know consumers will really enjoy.”

The Summer Berry Company produces strawberry varieties which can be found at M&S, Tesco, Ocado, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and others stores.